Bin panel construction



INVENTOR. 'i/l/AYA/E f7. OL/VER BY M 2 Sheets-Sheet l Wfiw A? TO/QNEYSW. H. OLIVER BIN PANEL CONSTRUCTION Oct. 18, 1966 Flled Dec 50 1963 Oct.18, 1966 w. H. OLIVER 3,279,140

BIN PANEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 30, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [5 INVENTOR.

Vim NE H. OLIVER A T TOAPNEYS United States Patent BIN PANELCONSTRUCTION Wayne H. Oliver, 1305 Spring Valley N., Minneapolis, Minn.

Filed Dec. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 334,288 3 Claims. (Cl. 52584) My inventionrelates generally to the building construction arts, and morespecifically to detachable metal panels for use in construction ofrectangular enclosures such as storage bins.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a novel shapedmetal construction panel having rigidly secured thereto a mounting framewhich is adapted to cooperate with mounting frames of similarly formedpanels to quickly and accurately construct rectangular units of varyingsize.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a building panel ofthe type immediately above described which can produce rugged anddurable structures with a minimum of labor and instruction.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a building panel ofthe type above described which may be prefabricated by production-linemethods at a relatively low cost; which are relatively light in weightand compact in size, and consequently may be shipped and stored in aminimum of space.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a building panel ofthe type above described which may be used to add to the size of a binor other such unit as requirements demand, in either vertical or lateraldirections.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a building panel ofthe type above described wherein by virtue of the shape and constructionof the mounting frame, it is impossible to secure two such cooperatingpanels together in disalignment.

The above and still further objects of my invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed specification, appended claims, and attacheddrawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like partsthroughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a view in top plan of a multiple bin-type construction formedin accordance with my invention, some parts broken away and some partsshown in section;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the structure of FIG.1, some parts being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a View in side elevation of one of the panels utilized in theformation of the structure of FIG. 1, some parts being broken away andsome parts shown in section;

FIG. 4 is a view in vertical section as seen from the line 4--4 of FIG.1, on an enlarged scale, portions thereof being broken away;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional detail of thecentral panel connection of FIG. 1 illustrating the structure used toconnect four converging panels;

FIG. 6 is a view in horizontal section as seen from the line 6-6 of FIG.2 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 7 is a view in horizontal section as seen from the line 77 of FIG.2, on an enlarged scale, and

FIG. 8 is a view in horizontal section as seen from the line 8-8 of FIG.3, some parts being broken away.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, the numeral 10indicates in its entirety a rectangular sheet metal panel, the upper andlower edges of which are identified by 11, 12, respectively, and theopposite side edges, normally vertically disposed by 13. Extending aboutthe marginal edge of the panel 10, and rigidly secured thereto in anysuitable manner such as by welding, is a metallic frame 14 formed fromangular metal stock such as steel, the legs 15 of which aresubstantially the same width and intersect each other at right angles.

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For a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent, the frame sections14a, 14b, associated respectively with the upper and opposite side edges11, 13 of the panel 10, have their legs 15 arranged so that they divergeinwardly toward the panel 10. In this manner the plane of the panel 10bisects the included angle defined by said legs 15 and the projectedplane of the panel 10 bisects the vertex 16 thereof. On the other hand,the frame section 14c, associated with the lower marginal edge 12 of thepanel 10, and which is identical in shape and dimension with framesections 14a, 14b, is arranged so that the legs 15 thereof flaredownwardly and outwardly and away from the panel 10. Referring to FIG.4, it will be observed that attachment of the marginal edge 12 to thevertex 16 is accomplished by welding or the like of an angular lip 17 onthe marginal edge 12 to the adjacent portion of a leg 15, at pointsimmediately adjacent the vertex 16. For the purpose of rigidity, I havefound that it is frequently necessary or desirable to reinforce theintermediate portion of panels 10 by means of a vertically extendedtransverse rib 18, opposite ends of which are secured to generallyopposed legs 15 of opposed frame sections 14a, 140.

So as to assure continuous and unbroken frame 14, it will be noted thatlegs 15 of each of the frame sections 14a, 14b, 140, are mitered, asindicated by the numeral 20. However, because of the disposition of thelegs 15 in the lower frame section 140, it is necessary to miter thelower joints 19 on angles parallel to their immediately overlying miterjoint 20.

When it is desired to construct a single four-sided unit with the panels10 of the type immediately above de scribed, four thereof are caused toassume a vertical wallforming position with the legs 15 of the lowerframe sections in engagement with a suitable rectangular base orfoundation A. The adjacent legs 15 of adjacent side frame members 14bare then placed in abutting coplanar relationship, as illustratedparticularly in FIG. 6, and a suitable C-clamp means B are used todetachably lock same in this operative relationship. If one desires tomerely extend such a structure vertically, he causes four additional ofsuch panels 10 to overlie the previously erected panels 10, with thelegs 15 of the frame sections 14c of the uppermost panels 10 in nestingrelationship with the downwardly diverging legs 15 of the frame sections14a of the underlying panels 10. Suitable clamp means such as B are alsoused to detachably retain the uppermost panels 10 in operativerelationship. Furthermore, the uppermost panels 10 may be rigidlysecured to the underlying panels 10 by means of nut-equipped bolts orthe like 21 passing through aligned apertures 22 in adjacent legs 15.

When it is desired to form a coplanar extension of a given wall formedby one or more panels 10, this can be readily accomplished as indicatedin both FIGS. 1 and 7 wherein the coplanar panels 10 are indicated by10a. In such a case it will be noted that a somewhat modified C-clamp Cis utilized, the adjustable hook-acting legs 23 of which project throughapertures 24 in the panels 10a.

FIG. 5 illustrates a further modified form of double C-clarnp D whichmay be utilized under circumstances where four panels 10b come together,at a central point with the legs 15 of each frame section 14b thereof inengagement with the legs 15 of two adjacent leg sections 14b, whereby todefine an X which facilitates clamping in a manner thereshown.

My invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completelysatisfactory for the accomplishment of the above objects; and while Ihave disclosed a preferred embodiment thereof, same may well be capableof modification without departure from the scope and spirit of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bin comprising a plurality of panels each panel comprising a sheetand a pair of angle members secured at the vertex thereof at oppositeedges of the sheet with the sheet bisecting the angle between the legsof the members, at least one of the legs of each member of a panelabutting the leg of a member of an adjacent panel, and hooked clampingmeans hooked over the edges of some of the legs for securing the legs inabutting relationship.

2. A bin comprising a plurality of panels each panel comprising arectangular frame of angle members and a sheet secured to the verticesof the members in a plane bisecting the angle between the legs thereof,one of the members being arranged with the legs converging toward thesheet, the other members being arranged with the legs straddling thesheet, at least one of said straddling legs of each panel abutting astraddling leg of an adjacent panel, and hooked clamping means hookedover the edges of some of said straddling legs for securing the panelstogether.

3. A bin panel comprising a rectangular frame including four anglemembers and an imperforate sheet secured to the vertices of the membersin a plane bisecting the angle between the legs thereof, one of themembers being arranged with the legs thereof converging toward thesheet, the other three members being arranged with the legs straddlingthe sheet, two of said other members being parallel and each memberbeing connected to its adjacent member by a miter joint to form acontinuous unbroken frame, the miter joints between the ends of saidparallel members and said one member being parallel to the miter jointsbetween the opposite ends of said parallel angle members and the ends ofthe third member having straddling legs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,100,957 11/1937Hoffman 52-588 X 2,273,775 2/1942 Strong 52-601 X 2,372,038 3/1945Westveer 52-601 X 2,933,166 4/1960 Castaine 52578 FOREIGN PATENTS221,468 2/ 1925 Great Britain.

602,649 5/ 1948 Great Britain.

292,715 11/ 195 3 Switzerland.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. J. K. BELL, Assistant Examiner.

3. A BIN PANEL COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR FRAME INCLUDING FOUR ANGLE MEMBERS AND AN IMPERFORATE SHEET SECURED TO THE VERTICES OF THE MEMBERS IN A PLANE BISECTING THE ANGLE BETWEEN THE LEGS THEREOF, ONE OF THE MEMBERS BEING ARRANGED WITH THE LEGS THEREOF CONVERGING TOWARD THE SHEET, THE OTHER THREE MEMBERS BEING ARRANGED WITH THE LEGS STRADDLING THE SHEET, TWO OF SAID OTHER MEMBERS BEING PARLLEL AND EACH MEMBER BEING CONNECTED TO ITS AD- 